And the teacher said...
Flowers are red young man
Green Leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way than
the way they always have been seen.
But, the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one
These are some of the lyrics to the Harry Chapin song, "Flowers are Red."
from the late 70's.
I loved to listen to Harry Chapin
when I was in high school because his lyrics begged the listener
to examine their lives
and to think. Songs like "Cats in the cradle"
are still played on the radio 25 years after his death.
The "flowers are red" song tells
of a little boy who heads off to school and
quickly learns that
society likes it better if we all think alike and if we just
follow the rules that have been
dictated by the past.
It isn't an easy life, being a "thinker", that is. It can be lonely.
It can be tempting to just see
things the way they
always have been seen instead of holding on to your vision for
how things could be.
Tyler has always been a
creative, deep thinker. He has challenged us, his teachers,
his leaders and his friends
to think differently and to think deeply
about our faith, theology, and about our lives. We have encouraged
him not to ever lose his creativity and
quest for learning. Now, there are some times I
wonder if that was a good idea. It is not an easy life but a
worthwhile one.
Those who walk this path are few and far between. Even in
the Church, we have learned to just accept what our
predecessors have taught us about our
faith. Each individual's faith journey must be their own.
It can not be "passed on" by parents or
spiritual leaders. I am so thankful that Tyler has paved
his own way on his faith walk. He
has questioned and wrestled and still does, but he comes
back stronger and more committed
to following Christ.
No, I will never regret encouraging Tyler to think for himself
and to not lose his unique and God given
talents. It is a harder path for all of us to be on.
But it is worth it.
A life examined is truly worth
living...out loud.
